Posted January 31, 2022 at 10:13 am by Jeff Arnim
The San Juan County Council will hold a regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 9 a.m. Items up for discussion at Tuesday’s meeting include:
Posted January 30, 2022 at 9:59 pm by San Juan Update
Kyle Ater captured this late afternoon double rainbow near Jensen’s Marina.
Posted January 30, 2022 at 2:17 pm by Peggy Sue McRae
February is Heart Health Month. A good reminder when we are so fixated on COVID these days it is easy to overlook taking good care of our hearts. Taking care of our hearts, you know what that means. Get some exercise and eat your vegetables. Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol under control. Lose weight and quit smoking.
Those are all important recommendations, but one factor we might not connect to our heart health is our level of stress. However, recent studies show that chronic psychological stress can play as much a part — if not a greater part — in your heart’s health than other more traditionally thought of cardiac risk factors.
Dr. Michael T. Osborne, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, explains that reactions to stress can activate a fight-or-flight response. This can trigger a release of hormones that causes a cascade of reactions, including inflammation of the arteries and atherosclerosis, the arterial disease that underlies most heart attacks and strokes.
To mitigate stress, Dr. Osborne recommends regular physical exercise (there’s no getting out of this one) and getting a good night’s sleep. He recommends avoiding blue light screens, like on computers or smartphones, at bedtime or using blue-light filters.
There are many tried and true methods to reduce stress. Yoga, tai chi, and various mindfulness practices are widely available. You can also take a yoga class and get physical exercise and stress reduction in one fell swoop.
Be kind to your heart this February. Eat more plants and take more walks. Take deep breaths and have deep sleeps. The Dalai Lama advises, “Be calm, pacify your agitated mind, let go of stress.” Let it go. Freeing our hearts from stress may leave us more room to fill our hearts with beauty and love.
See also: Why stress may be your heart’s worst enemy.
Posted January 29, 2022 at 7:43 pm by Jeff Arnim
Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor is accepting applications for two educational and training awards available to women living in San Juan County.
The $2,000 Educational Opportunity Award was established for women enrolled in, or accepted into, an undergraduate degree or career training program. Its purpose is to help women overcome personal difficulties and improve their lives through education and training. The recipient may use the cash award to offset education or training costs, such as tuition, books, childcare, or transportation. Applicants must be able to show their financial need.
The $3,000 Fellowship Award is awarded to a woman returning to school for postgraduate study at an accredited college or university leading to a Master’s degree or Ph.D.
Applications for either award must be postmarked by Friday, Feb. 25. The winners will be selected some time in the spring.
Soroptimist members, their immediate family members, and past Soroptimist award winners are not eligible.
Application and reference forms are available on the Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor website.
Posted January 29, 2022 at 1:32 pm by Jeff Arnim
Members of the food and agricultural community from across the islands will host the tenth edition of the San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit on Friday, March 4 and Saturday, March 5.
Held this year on Lopez Island, the event includes virtual programming on Friday and in-person workshops and gatherings on Saturday. Based on input from the community, this year’s Ag Summit will cover topics such as on-farm carbon storage, composting, water storage and irrigation management, vet skills, and tree fruit care.
The 2022 Ag Summit is supported by WSU San Juan County Extension, San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild, San Juan Islands Conservation District, San Juan County Agricultural Resources Committee, Lopez Community Land Trust, and Lopez Island School District & LIFE Garden Program.
Posted January 29, 2022 at 9:48 am by Jeff Arnim
The San Juan County Department of Emergency Management reports 86 confirmed or probable new COVID cases on San Juan Island since Jan. 21. The County also reports 22 new cases on Orcas Island, and 22 on Lopez Island. This week’s 130 new cases bring the total case count to 986.
In their media release, the County provides additional insight into the nature of our area’s COVID cases:
Islanders are understandably curious about case trends during this ongoing surge. Are the cases in kids? Older folks? Those who travelled? The clear answer is yes to all. Recent cases are popping up in students, those who have been out of Washington or out of the country, and plenty of islanders who haven’t left the islands and haven’t clearly engaged in high-risk behavior. The reality of Omicron is that transmission rates are high and the disease spreads easily.
As case numbers continue to be high, a common refrain is “well, let’s just get this over with and all get it”. A few quick thoughts on that:
Being able to think like that is a luxury borne from an incredibly successful vaccine and (in the islands anyway) a very successful vaccination roll-out. Without vaccinations, this current wave would be truly catastrophic and many, many more islanders would be severely ill and hospitalized.
It is also important to keep in mind that there are islanders who have literally had to fight for their lives during this latest surge, and some of those who have ended up in the hospital were relatively young and healthy. Being vaccinated remains far and away your best move to ensure you stay out of the hospital. While any one person’s odds of being killed by COVID are relatively low, it does happen, and if getting vaccinated nearly guarantees that it won’t happen to you, isn’t it worth it?
The County also notes that many islanders have opted not to receive a COVID booster shot. First shots, second shots, and boosters are available at the upcoming vaccine clinics held on Feb. 7, Feb. 13, and Feb. 21.
Posted January 29, 2022 at 8:02 am by Jeff Arnim
The long string of sub-freezing temperatures that hung around the island in late December are contributing to the expensive OPALCO billing statements that co-op members are about to receive. According to the utility, many customers saw their energy usage double during the most recent billing period, due primarily to the increased load placed on home heating systems.
Because demand for energy across the system was so pronounced, OPALCO was also hit with more than $300,000 in demand charges from the Bonneville Power Association, the utility’s mainland power supplier. These costs will be passed along to members as a surcharge that OPALCO refers to as an Energy Charge Adjustment.
This month’s bills will also trend higher because they are the first to reflect the four percent rate increase that was scheduled to take effect in 2022.
OPALCO staff will host an online workshop on Monday, Feb. 7 at 5 p.m. via Zoom to answer member billing questions. Register in advance by contacting [email protected]. Members who need financial help can submit applications to OPALCO’s Energy Assistance Program and Project PAL.
Posted January 28, 2022 at 3:01 pm by San Juan Update
John Miller shares this recent image of Wasp Passage, taken via drone from Primrose Lane.
Posted January 28, 2022 at 9:59 am by Jeff Arnim
On Thursday, Feb. 10, the San Juan County Economic Development Council will offer a free workshop covering common financial issues faced by small business owners. The workshop is being presented together with the Washington Small Business Development Center.
According to the EDC:
This workshop will be led by Steve Burke, Western Regional Manager with the WSBDC and Certified Business Advisor. The workshop will focus on helping small businesses to improve their finance management skills while minimizing the time they devote to it.
The workshop will cover the following topics, and attendees are encouraged to bring their questions regarding financial discipline in business management.
The event starts at 1 p.m. and will be held over Zoom. Advance registration is required.
Posted January 27, 2022 at 7:14 pm by Jeff Arnim
Starting Sunday, Jan. 30, you’ll once again have the option to make reservations for the winter ferry schedule, which runs through March 26.
Due to continued staffing challenges and the increased likelihood of cancellations, only 60 percent of spaces can be reserved, instead of the typical 90 percent. 20 percent will be released two months ahead of each sailing, an additional 20 percent will be released two weeks prior, and the final 20 percent of spaces will become available two days in advance.
Washington State Ferries also notes that all reservation holders should plan to travel on their reserved sailing, as vehicles with reservations will no longer be prioritized for any other sailings. Vehicles without reservations will be loaded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Reservations for spring were expected to open today, but their release has been delayed indefinitely as WSF continues to develop modified sailing schedules amid COVID-related crewing shortages.
Posted January 27, 2022 at 1:32 pm by Jeff Arnim
On Feb. 8, voters will decide the fate of San Juan County Public Hospital District Proposition 1, a six-year emergency medical services property tax levy renewal. The San Juan Update has received the following letters to the editor with statements in opposition to the levy:
Posted January 27, 2022 at 12:33 pm by Jeff Arnim
On Feb. 8, voters will decide the fate of San Juan County Public Hospital District Proposition 1, a six-year emergency medical services property tax levy renewal. The San Juan Update has received the following letters to the editor with statements in support of the levy:
Posted January 27, 2022 at 9:43 am by Jeff Arnim
On Feb. 8, voters will decide the fate of San Juan Island School District Proposition 1, a replacement educational programs and operational levy renewal. The San Juan Update has received the following letters to the editor with statements regarding the levy:
Posted January 26, 2022 at 4:14 pm by Jeff Arnim
Some helpful community members are organizing a cleanup project at Jackson’s Beach on Saturday, Jan. 29, starting at 10 a.m. The group will meet at the pavilion. Trash bags and gloves will be provided.
